TROY James will spend his summer in the gym preparing for the biggest fight of his exciting professional career.

James will challenge Terry Flannigan for the English super-featherweight title in Manchester on September 22 – and heads to the Red Corner gym on Walsgrave Road on Monday to start a gruelling 12-week training camp.

“I know everyone else is looking forward to their holidays,” said the 28-year-old, “but all I’m thinking about is this fight.

“I’m totally focussed on winning this fight and then hopefully I can go away on holiday afterwards.”

James secured a crack at the St George’s belt with a dramatic last-gasp victory over Bedworth Civic Hall in March.

Going into the last round of his clash with Barrington Brown for the vacant title, James was behind by one point on the referee’s scorecard – and the pint-sized puncher snatched the belt by forcing the stoppage with just two seconds left on the clock.

Flannigan claimed the vacant belt in May with a points victory over hard-as-nails Dougie Curran that extended his unbeaten record to 14 fights.

James has also beaten Curran – he was a points winner when they met on promoter Les Allen jnr’s show at the Hilton Hotel last December – and will have the best possible sparring for the clash with Flannigan.

Frankie Gavin is also a stylish southpaw with a hit-and-don’t-get-hit style and trainer Dean Edwards hopes to bring the 2007 world amateur champion and unbeaten professional to Coventry to spar James.